Especially Me and Probably You
by rosewallacegoldaline
Summary: Shilo has resorted to talking to her mother's tomb just to make her feel like something of a person. Her loneliness cuts like a knife, digging deeper with each blow. Graverobber, however, may have a cure for Shilo-and it doesn't involve zydrate. (Grilo)
1. Suprise Visit

It was dark and cold and with every step Shilo's boot sloshed into a different puddle. Every so often water would drip from the walls or the ceiling. Along with the sound of dripping water came Shilo's accelerated heartbeat. It wasn't her actions that set her on edge, but rather her father's instead. Her pace was quick and silent, as to not witness said actions.

The journey to her mother's tomb always seemed to be laborious one. It was fear-invoking, though fear was something she felt quite often. When she reached the end of the hall, she placed a pale hand over the stiff doorknob and entered the tomb. Removing her gas mask, she made her way to the stone casket. Shilo dragged a finger across the words "Marni Wallace", which stirred up collected dust. She sat down, making herself comfortable and proceeding to let out a sigh.

"Hello, mother," Shilo said to no one. She didn't expect a reply. She wasn't even speaking in an effort to communicate with her mother. She was speaking to speak, and her choices were limited.

"As always, you and I are just where we belong-confined inside a cage." Though she couldn't deny her mother was constricted more so than she. "I'm beginning to think the voices in my head don't even want to talk to me anymore."

She leaned back against the stone wall, closing her eyes. Her imagination never ceased to bring vivid, eccentric, and often gruesome images into her mind. In the middle of one of her daydreams, she heard sirens approaching. The ringing noise seeped through the bars in the windows and echoed through the small room. Curious, Shilo made her way to the opposite door, which led to the streets. She paused before opening; a gloomy and nervous feeling filled her body. Rarely did she leave the boundaries of her home, and when she did her unlucky nature shone through.

Shilo shook her head, as if to shake the nerves away, and cracked the door only enough to peek outside. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the night, she fell forward suddenly, then felt a push back inside. In the abrupt chaos, she heard the door shut. Looking up, she saw a familiar figure looming over her.

"Hello." The words left Graverobber's lips as if he didn't just push her through the door and invade her mother's tomb.

After a few seconds of recollection, Shilo replied, "What are you doing?"

"Working." He had a smug look on his face.

"Don't tell me…the sirens are for you?" It was hardly a question nor an assumption as much as it was a statement, Shilo didn't doubt it for a second.

Graverobber ignored the question. "I saw your door crack and said to myself 'oh, how nice of the kid to offer her help' and so I find myself here."

"You can't, I mean…if they follow you here." She paused, weighing the pros and cons. "You should probably leave."

"Relax, kid, they didn't see me." He patted her head before walking further into the small room. "Just give me a bit and I'll be out of your way."

She let out a defeated sigh, knowing she owed him for helping her out once. "Fine, you can stay."

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**AN: Hello. This chapter is a setup for a story I have in mind, so it's not lengthy. I'll be posting the next chapter soon, where I'll delve into the characters some more. Thanks for reading.**


	2. The Butterfly Vivarium

Graverobber sat down in the small room and dusted the cemetery's dirt off of his pants. He then met eyes with Shilo, giving her an expecting look as he motioned to the space next to him. She slowly joined him after consideration, wary to leave space between the two.

Graverobber noticed Shilo's bag and the books she had lying next to it. She had sparked his curiosity since the day they first met. "So what brings you down here, kid?"

"Just…reading." She replied, not revealing the fact that she had been talking to her dead mother. It wasn't that she didn't want to admit it to him; he came in contact with the dead on a daily basis. She moreover didn't want to admit it aloud to save herself the lousy feeling.

"Reading, you say?" He reached over and picked up a book entitled _The Butterfly Vivarium_. "About butterflies?" he extended the (at first) rhetorical question.

Shilo simply nodded, wondering what his interest was in her choice of book.

"Ah…" Graverobber trailed off, flipping through the pages of the book. "Now tell me," he turned to meet her gaze, "butterflies…do you envy them their color? Their beauty? Or perhaps…their wings?" the corners of his lips formed an almost sinister smile.

"Metamorphosis." She answered simply. When the dark haired man only stared, offering no reply, she tried to form an explanation. "The ability to completely alter their image…to go from nothing to something alluring and complex."

"Metamorphosis." He repeated the word, musing slightly on it. An almost inaudible laugh escaped his lips.

"What's so funny?" Shilo's tone turned from dreamy to annoyed.

"You." He stated, allowing another laugh to escape, this one louder than the last.

"Ha ha. I'm hilarious," she rolled her eyes. "Tell me what's so funny," she insisted.

Graverobber collected a few strands of her hair in his fingers, appearing to examine them. "Do you want to become something alluring and complex?"

Shilo's eyes followed his hand. "Well…what I m-" she was interrupted.

"Or better yet…do you think you are currently nothing?" He smiled, allowing the strands of hair to fall through his fingers.

"I suppose I'm no-" she was interrupted mid-reply once again.

"You're interesting, kid." He said, patting her head with his hand. Shilo shied away from his touch, unsure of how to take it.

"I…thank..you?" Shilo's voice rang with confusion. Graverobber only laughed in reply. After a few seconds of silence, he lied down on this back, hands behind his head. Shilo noticed his intense gaze and followed his eyes to the ceiling, wondering what it was he was staring at.

Graverobber began speaking before she could ask anything, "If you could fly away right now…would you ever come back?" Shilo was confused by his question and wondered whether to give an honest answer or just something that would appease him. She went with the first option, though simplified.

"Probably…yes." She paused, thoughtfully. "This home…it's the only place I've ever really known. I'm not sure how long I could last away from it."

"Fair enough." He replied, her answer seeming to satisfy him.

"What about you?" she returned his question, only seeing it fair that he gave it some thought.

"Me? Well if I could fly, the least of my worries would be to come back here." His lips curled into a smile.

"Fair enough." Shilo returned his smile. Graverobber laughed and continued staring at the ceiling. They continued chatting, mostly small talk and Graverobber's random inquiries. When the bell's sound rang from the clock tower, Shilo's mind snapped back to reality.

"I have to leave," her voice was teeming with worry. She stood up quickly, dusting off the skirt of her dress, and was caught by the hand when she turned away.

"Until next time." Graverobber flashed her his devilishly attractive smile as he kissed her hand. Shilo, blushing slightly and shocked by his action, quickly shoved her books back into her bag and retrieved her gas mask. Upon doing so, she hurried back through the door and was out of side.

Graverobber laughed as he watched her flee so quickly. His eye caught Shilo's book he had been flipping through. After studying the cover once again, he shoved the book safely into his jacket, collected himself, and returned to the streets.

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**AN: I promise this story is getting somewhere. This is another shorter chapter, as it is setting up where I'd like to go. I want to focus on the development of their relationship, so sorry if it comes across as boring. ;^;**


	3. Lucanidae

Shilo locked her door upon entering her room and immediately situated herself in her bed in case her father came up. Staring at the ceiling, she sighed, feeling a brand new sense of loneliness. While he still seemed distant and strange to her, she couldn't doubt that Graverobber made for decent company. The small chatter was nice and she didn't even mind all of the questions he asked. With him on her mind, she only then began to notice the hot feeling in her hand, right where he had kissed. Noticing this, red began to fill her cheeks, and noticing the red, she shoved a pillow in her face and sighed into it, frustrated.

_I know I asked for company…but this guy's too much._

The more she thought about it, the more she thought he wasn't the type of company she needed, and the more she thought about that, the more she missed his presence. The few times they've met Graverobber has managed to leave Shilo wondering, almost intrigued.

Shilo decided to push all her thoughts aside for the night. Sleep was always good medicine for a conflicted mind.

x

A few days later Shilo found herself at her mother's tomb once again, this time with a new set of books. Though they were mostly about bugs and were books which she had already read, she enjoyed them nonetheless.

Shilo sat as she always did, back against the wall and under the barred window. After a quick conversation with her mother, she picked up a book on beetles. While reading about the mandibles of one such beetle, she began to nod off. After attempting to read the same sentence multiple times to no avail, she submitted to her sleepiness and dozed off.

x

_Shilo dreamt she was on a brilliant stage, performing eloquent songs just as Mag always did. She wore a long, black dress with fishnet designs covering the outer layer. Her long black gloves were just the same. Shilo's voice echoed through the theater, delivering a soft and sweet sound to those who were listening._

_Midway through a verse, she caught a glimpse of something strange. Looking down, she saw red where black should have been. Her voice halted as she examined her dress in despair and confusion. It was covered in blood, from top to bottom. She had blood on her hands and even smeared on her face. _

_She looked to the audience for some understanding, but was immediately appalled at the sight. All of their eyes had been gouged out, blood flowing where they used to reside. _

_Shilo ran off the stage and down the aisle, bursting through the main doors that led outside. While she hoped to find solace outside, there was only darkness and unfamiliar territory. She headed right, stepping over cadavers and dodging those who hadn't quite made it there yet. The smell of carrion was thick within the air, burning her eyes. It wasn't until she stubbed her toe on something rocklike that she realized where she now was. Walking further, the tombstones multiplied, forming endless rows. _

_Shilo stopped dead in her tracks. The air no longer smelt of carrion, but something much more familiar. She couldn't find a comparison for this scent, and couldn't quite place her finger on what it was. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned around to an epiphany as to the source of the aroma. There Graverobber stood, smiling as always, and not a touch of death on him. (Well, other than there would normally be.)_

_Graverobber pulled Shilo close, closing in the distance between their bodies, and eventually their lips. The kiss melted away all confusion and fear. When the feelings began building up inside Shilo, they felt all too real-his overwhelming scent and the touch of their lips._

x

Shilo's eyes shot open, tearing her from the dream she was having. Her heartbeat was wild and her cheeks were hot. Only when Shilo breathed in to steady her heartbeat did she notice the still-lingering scent of Graverobber. Her mind, coming out of its groggy, sleeping state, made the realization before her body did. She didn't quite remember falling asleep like this-so comfortable. She turned her head to see what she was lying against to see a smiling Grave robber.

"Good morning, kid." He said, stroking her hair.

Shilo, becoming self-conscious, shot up and began composing herself. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. The blush that had originated from her dream intensified.

"Someone's been having some naughty dreams." Graverobber brought a finger up to poke her cheek.

"It's not…" she sighed, rolling her eyes. "What are you doing here this time?"

"I've never seen an angel sleep before." He laughed, obviously amused with himself.

Shilo's blush, to her surprise, increased even more so at his reply. She passed it off as the result of the events of her dream. "A real reason," she inquired.

"I just happened to be in the neighborhood-" he paused to let out a sly laugh, "and I wanted to enjoy your company, Ms. Wallace."

She sighed, slightly amused, herself, at his words. Something about his smile made him seem so inviting.

"Now don't let me bother you, you just keep reading about your Lucanidae." His voice teemed with mocking enthusiasm.

She put both of her arms up like mandibles and pretended to snap at him. Graverobber laughed and this time was the one to roll his eyes. Shilo gave him a half smile before leaning back against him and picking up where she left off in her book.

* * *

**AN: Basically this chapter was to show a glimpse into Shilo's mind by subconscious means. I also wanted to show the progression of their relationship in that Shilo is beginning to become comfortable with his company and want it more. Note: Lucanidae is the scientific name for a stag beetle. Graverobber flipped through her book while she was sleeping and used the term while mocking her.**


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